Thomas Reignsford
Lord Thomas Reignsford is a knighted soldier of the First Regiment and noble of the Kingdom of Stormwind. He was granted his title after years of dutiful service to King and Country while serving in the First Regiment of the Elwynn Brigade. Thomas is a Ranger at heart, feeling more in his element alone in the woods rather than the trappings of his station within the cold stone walls of Stormwind City. Appearance Thomas' physique is unlike that of many of his peers. Although he stands at 5'9" and weighs a solid 225 lbs., his muscles are toned and sleek from a lifetime of running and stalking the woods, dependent on agility rather than strength for survival. Thomas' uniform reflects this by being made of chainmail reinforced leather, allowing him the flexibility required of a Ranger while providing as much protection as possible. In spite of the advances of Dwarven and Gnomish technologies, he prefers the stealthiness and reliability of a good longbow, crafted from the finest Ash trees of Elwynn Forest. His faithful companion, Tullius, a Stormwind warhound, is often by his side. When out of uniform, Thomas can be seen wearing comfortable clothes in muted earth-tones, preferring them over the stuffy, fine clothing of other nobles. A green woolen work shirt, a pair of blue knitted pants, well worn leather boots, and his trademark grey wide-brimmed hat are his usual choice of attire. Around his neck, Thomas wears two chains, one is a Light-infused pendant gifted to him by a Northshire Abbey priest after the death of his family. On the other chain hangs the remnants of an amulet he had given his wife. Upbringing Birth and Life in Lordaeron Thomas Edmond Reignsford was born to Edmond James Reignsford and Jillian Lindgren-Reignsford on the 23rd of February, 593 K.C. in Stormwind City after his parents fled from the orcish invasion of Elwynn Forest in the First War. The stress of the evacuation caused Thomas to be born a month premature but midwives and clerics at the Cathedral of Light were able to help keep Thomas healthy. Three years later, when the Kingdom of Stormwind fell, Thomas and his family fled to the Kingdom of Lordaeron where they settled on to the lands of Southshore. Edmond eked out a meager living for his family by hunting bears and mountain lions while Jillian helped tend to crops on nearby farms. In 598 K.C., Thomas's sister, Fiona, was born in Southshore. In 601 K.C., once they heard news of the Orcish Horde's defeat in the Second War, Edmond and his family returned to Elwynn to rebuild their lives on the family land north of what is now Stone Cairn Lake. Life in Elwynn Upon their return to Elwynn, the Reignsfords rebuilt their lives on the northwestern shores of Stone Cairn Lake. Edmond and a young Thomas spent their days gathering wood, hunting for food and fur, and fishing in the lake while Jillian tended the garden and home. As Fiona became older, she helped her mother around the house and picked herbs. At the age of 16, Thomas was delivering a bundle of hides to the denizens of Darkshire when he was set upon by a large black wolf. Thomas was overpowered and knocked down by the wolf. As the wolf lunged for Thomas' neck, Thomas instinctively blocked the vicious bite with his left forearm. While the beast ravaged muscle and tendon, Thomas managed to unsheathe his hunting knife and frantically stabbed the wolf in the chest. After he hefted the lifeless corpse off, Thomas gathered his goods and continued on to Darkshire where he sought treatment and sold the hides he had brought. Despite the doctor's and the priest's best efforts, the wound never fully healed, leaving Thomas with a weakened left hand and a right nasty scar along his forearm. Tragedy Strikes The years past by blissfully for the Reignsford family. Thomas married a beautiful young woman named Shana Haggard, they built a small house of their own on the family land, and in time Shana gave birth to a son named Kaiser. Thomas became a contracted supplier of leather for The Protective Hide in the Old Town District of Stormwind City and he began to venture out into the world, looking for different qualities of leather to sell. Fiona became interested in the healing arts and the Light so she became part of the monastic clergy at Northshire Abbey. As world events came and went, opportunities for new types of leather presented themselves. The fall of Lordaeron and the discovery of Kalimdor, the reopening of the Dark Portal and the Burning Crusade that followed, and war against the Lich King in Northrend; all of these events drew Thomas away from his home for weeks, sometimes months at a time, as he tried to provide the craftsmen with new, unique types of leather and make a sizable amount of coin to help his family. Thomas was in Northrend when the events surrounding the Cataclysm occurred. Securing passage back to Elwynn as soon as possible, he returned to his family home to find only rubble and charred remains of the buildings. Making Ends Meet With no sign of the fate of his family, Thomas returned a broken man to The Protective Hide, the only "home" he had remaining. In exchange for continuing to supply them with leather, they offered Thomas room and board whenever he stayed in Stormwind City. Thomas threw himself into his work as a way to cope with his losses. He spent months out in the woods of the world, anything to keep himself away from Stormwind and Elwynn Forest. One of his preferred locales was the Hinterlands near Lordaeron. There he was far away from anything resembling his home, in an idyllic forest land teeming with beasts to hunt, with friendly settlements to visit should he have the need. On one such visit to Quel'Danil Lodge, Thomas was doing some trading with the Queldorei Rangers when the First Regiment marched in to rest for the night. He had always had a level of respect and admiration for any soldier, but he had heard that the First Regiment was a cut above the rest; their dedication to duty, their unwavering resolve, and above all, their irreproachable sense of honor in combat. Introducing himself and welcoming the soldiers, Thomas eventually struck up a lengthily and mirthful conversation with a Logistics Officer, who offered Thomas a contracted civilian position within the regiment to provide them with leather and leather goods. Heeding the Call Several months had passed since Thomas had started working for the First Regiment. On numerous occasions he even traveled with them if he knew the location was teeming with animals deemed to provide quality leather. With a horse and a small cart, Thomas would stay a ways behind the lines, hunting as he went. As night approached and the regiment made camp, Thomas would skin his kills and offer the meat to the soldiers. Thomas gained a sense of camaraderie amongst the men and women of the regiment and an urge to serve alongside them rose within him. On a crisp autumn night after the regiment had returned from a campaign, Thomas humbly approached the office of the Lord Marshal of the First Regiment, Duke Maxen Montclair, and requested permission to join the ranks of the enlisted. Having seen the contributions Thomas had made to the regiment and how he handled himself in the field, Lord Montclair nodded his approval and suspended all but the most necessary of formalities, personally swearing in Thomas forthwith. Given his hunting background, Thomas was selected to be an Archer within the Missile Troop Division but this would only be a temporary assignment as his superiors quickly noted his affinity for nature and talent for scouting. With this in mind, he was one of a select few withing the First Regiment chosen to receive Ranger training. Distinguishing himself both in and out of combat, Thomas steadily rose through the ranks. Knighthood! In December of 32 L.C., during a campaign in the Southern Barrens of Kalimdor, Lord Marshal Maxen Montclair saw fit to field promote then Sergeant Thomas Reignsford to the rank of Knight-Lieutenant. Upon their return to Stormwind, Duke Montclair and the other Officers of the First Regiment escorted Thomas to the resting place of King Logan Wrynn I. There the Duke officially inducted Thomas into the Brotherhood of the Horse. Thomas was directed to the Petitioner's Chambers in Stormwind Keep so he could submit notary to raise his household to nobility status and create a Coat of Arms. Coat of Arms Sir Thomas Reignsford chose for his Coat of Arms: A Field of Azure on a Classic Shield adorned by a Simple Helm plumed with Blue and Gold - to represent his ties to the Kingdom of Stormwind and the military from which his house gained prominence. The Hound to symbolize courage, vigilance, and loyalty. As well as, Thomas' connection to the Houndmasters and his companion, Tullius. White Stag supporters to bring balance, peace, and harmony wherever his house may go. He chose the motto, "By Skill and Valor" to commemorate through what means he gained nobility status, and that all tasks should be met by the same. Change of Duties With the change in station and rank came duties and priorities Thomas had not been familiar with. He began to spend less and less time in the woods and more and more in stoney chambers completing reports and creating training manuals. With the modernization of the First Regiment, Thomas put down the bow and picked up the rifle to familiarize himself with it and begin to train Musketeers. As a knight, he wore the blue broom helm to signify his status as an officer and he rode into battle on horseback wielding a long sword and a dirk. His uniform became heavier as he began to wear scalemail instead of chainmail and leather to protect himself. His movement and mobility was reduced. Day by day, Thomas was drifting away from his Ranger ways. The only thing constant was Tullius by his side, but even then, on horseback, Thomas was unable to rub Tullius on the head or feel him bump against his leg to know that he's there. Thomas stoically adjusted to his new life, ever the dutiful soldier, but it slowly ate away at him from the inside. A Whole New World Countless campaigns raged across Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms, quelling rebellions, cultists, and sometimes the very elements. The Fall of Deathwing brought a sigh of relief to all and relative peace began to settle across the world. It did not last long however as a new resource rich land appeared in the Southern Mists. The land of Pandaria. Horde forces lead by the increasingly hostile Warchief Hellscream sought to dominate the island for their own ends. King Varian Wrynn send the Grand Alliance Army to not only contend with the Horde but to also find Prince Anduin, whose ship had supposedly run aground on this very island. The First Regiment was sent as part of the Grand Alliance to establish footholds in the areas known as Jade Forest and Kasarang Wilds. With the help of natives who had become friendly with the Alliance, our mission was accomplished fairly quickly. Returning home, the First Regiment dealt with some local issues before being deployed to Durotar to aid the Horde Rebellion against Garrosh Hellscream at the Siege of Orgrimmar. Reunion and Retirement Garrosh's defeat brought joy to many world wide, including Thomas, who welcomed the lightening of stress from maintaining a constant vigil, and embraced the opportunity to spend longer periods of time in Elwynn. Much to Thomas' shock and utter joy, even more pleasant news was received. After several years of separation, he was reunited with some of the family he had thought lost. His sister, Fiona, and his son, Kaiser, had returned to him. The story his sister told him was bittersweet: "When Deathwing attacked the capital, Blackrock orcs attacked all of Elwynn. The Northshire and Stone Cairne areas were hit the worst. Pa and Shana fought them off while we made for Stormwind but I could tell they had been overrun cause we heard the orcs' victorious war cries as we slipped through the woods. Ma said we should go to Northrend to find you so we signed on to work at Westguard Keep in Howling Fjord to support ourselves while we searched for signs of ya. We eventually found our way to Amberpine Lodge in the Grizzly Hills where they told us you had left for Stormwind shortly after the attack on Stormwind. I bet we'd crossed ships and never knew it. Well, Ma, Kaiser and I did what work we could to save up enough to head back home, but it wasn't until just recently that they deemed it safe enough to travel back to Stormwind Harbor. The seas were mighty rough coming back. During one frightful pitch, Ma was going to tend to Kaiser but got flung against a pillar and conked her head right hard. She got real feverish. The ship's Doc tried his best to take care of her, but she passed away the next night. '' ''We finally made it into the harbor, where the Harbormaster started treating me awfully lady-like when I told him my name. I asked what for and he asked if I were kin to ya. Told him I was your sister and he said I'd likely find 'Sir Thomas Reignsford' at the Westbrook Garrison in Westridge. So here we are." To make up for time lost, Sir Thomas resigned his post as a Knight-Lieutenant in the First Regiment. He built a home for his family in the forests of Mirwood and returned to a life of hunting and leatherworking. Back into the Fray When word reached Thomas that the Dark Portal had opened once more, and orcs had overrun Nethergarde Keep and the Blasted Lands, he knew he had to return to the First Regiment. Thomas wasn't going to let this invasion turn out like the first one. He left his family safe in Mirwood as he traveled to Westbrook Garrison to enlist once again. Outside the purview of the civilian eyes, many changes had occurred within the Regiment and few familiar faces remained. Due to his retirement and his extended time away from training, Duke Montclair reinstated Sir Reignsford as a Corporal and informed him of his new position in a familiar division; a Scout within Reconnaisance/Missle Troop Division. Thomas deployed with the First Regiment to Draenor alongside the Dwarven Vanguard in an effort to destroy the Iron Horde's weapon making capabilities at Blackrock Foundry. Along the way, the Alliance forces fought against a genesaur that was harassing their supply lines. During the battle, Sir Reignsford was infected with the Botani Plague. Staving off the effect with herbal remedies, Thomas had to resign his post amid the Westfall Rebellion due to his concern for the safety of the Regiment should he turn into one of the Infected. With the help of a longtime druid friend, Sir Reignsford eventually "overcame" the Plague by putting it in a perpetual state of hibernation, but not before the Plague began to transform him, leaving trace reminders of what could have been his fate and changing him forever, both physically and spiritually. His return to the Regiment coincided with their return from a deployment to Uldum and humanitarian efforts in Fairpeak. Duke Montclair offered Sir Reignsford a position as Ranger-Knight of the Rangers of Mirwood, a newly founded order of Rangers led by Sir Brandon Hood. Moving up in the World As relative calm spread over the world, Duke Montclair's focus returned to internal matters. One such was the state of the Barony of Sarcelfen. Ever since the Sarceline Accident twenty years prior to the opening of the Dark Portal, a large swath of the woods along the northwestern edge of the barony have been twisted with corruption. These woods became known as the Withering Woods. The Accident itself, as well as the political fallout that resulted left the Barony weakened politically and economically. To ease the burden of the baronial rulers and the people who still lived there, the entirety of the Withering Woods, along with ruins of previous settlements within, was partitioned off into a new barony named Heartsgrove. Duke Montclair named Thomas as the Baron of Heartsgrove, raising the humble knight into the ranks of Stormwind nobility. Lord Thomas's charge is to discover/cure whatever ails the Withering Woods, as well as restore Heartsgrove to a thriving province. Continued Growth After the events in "Alternate" Draenor (or so magely scholars called it), for the briefest moment peace settled across Azeroth. But shortly after the Army's return, the world was on the receiving end of demonic invasions from the Burning Legion. Intelligence reports led to the discovery of Gul'dan from Alternate Draenor on the long forgotten Broken Isles. King Varian Wrynn died in the initial assault to defeat the Legion, and his son, Anduin, assumed the throne. The First Regiment participated in several campaigns to beat the Legion back, eventually succeeding in the fel-tainted lands of Argus. During this time, Thomas received several meritorious promotions, eventually returning to the rank of Knight-Lieutenant. On Argus, Caiterina Stonewall, Ranger-Lady of Mirwood, and a company of rangers were tragically lost with closing of the rift at the end of the War Against the Burning Legion. In her absense, Thomas was appointed as the new Ranger-Lord, vowing to continue to grow the ranks of the Rangers as well as safeguard all of Westridge from hidden threats. Category:Characters